Lael Hayward scored the winning basket, then Hanover Area made three defensive stops in the final minute Wednesday night to defeat host Wyoming Seminary, 35-33, in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 boys basketball opener for the Hawkeyes.
Hanover Area rallied to tie the game coming down the stretch. Hayward then drove the left side out of a half-court set with 1:02 remaining for his only basket and what wound up being the final points of the game.
David Popson led the Hawkeyes with eight points.
Jack Herron led Wyoming Seminary with 15 points, including all 7 scored by the Blue Knights in the fourth quarter.
Herron helped the Blue Knights start the quarter with a 7-2 advantage for a 33-31 lead.
In other WVC boys basketball games from Wednesday:
Holy Redeemer 60, Lake-Lehman 36
Jacob Hunter and Darryl Wright led a big third quarter as defending Division 2 champion Holy Redeemer pulled away in its division opener at home.
The Royals turned a 29-17 halftime lead into a 55-23 blowout after three quarters.
Hunter had 8 of his 19 points and Wright had 7 of his 14 during the quarter.
Joe Shishkowski led Lake-Lehman with 11 points.
Nanticoke 49, MMI Prep 18
Nanticoke rolled on the road, holding MMI Prep to nine points through three quarters while making the Trojans the first team to get to 2-0 in Division 2.
The Trojans led 17-2 after one quarter and 34-7 at halftime.
Ibn Jordan Thomas scored 6 of his game-high 14 points in the second quarter after Jaidyn Johnson had 5 of his 9 in the first quarter.
Brendan Brobst made two 3-pointers to lead MM Prep with six points.
Hazleton Area 57, Berwick 42
Luke Gennaro scored 20 points before leaving the game with an ankle injury as Hazleton Area matched Pittston Area at 2-0 in Division 1.
Gennaro was 5-for-5 on free throws in the first half and hit three 3-pointers the second half.
The Cougars led 17-4 after one quarter.
Billy Hanson led Berwick with 13 points.
Dallas 69, Wyoming Valley West 46
Jude Nocito and Cameron Faux combined for seven 3-pointers and 32 points as Dallas won the Division 1 game at home.
Nocito led the way with 18. Faux hit four 3-pointers while adding 14.
Maki Wells led Wyoming Valley West with 11 points.
